Published: 18:32, April 18, 2020 | Updated: 04:03, June 6, 2023
Community leaders, legal experts support police action
By Shadow Li, Li Bingcun, Zhao Ruinan

Masked protesters clad in black take part in an illegal assembly in Hong Kong. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

HONG KONG - Community leaders and legal experts have voiced their support for the arrests of prominent public figures for their roles in unlawful assemblies during last years’ social unrest that had brought widespread destruction across the city. 

READ MORE: HK: More than 10 public figures 'held over illegal assemblies'

According to the police, 15 people were arrested on Saturday in connection to unauthorized assemblies last year.

According to local media reports, among those arrested were businessman Jimmy Lai Chi-ying, politicians Leung Kwok-hung, Au Nok-hin, and other opposition leaders, including Martin Lee Chu-ming. 

New People's Party Chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said everyone stands equal before the law and there’s no exception for media tycoons or former legislators

Police said the 15 people were held on suspicion of organizing or participating in unauthorized assemblies on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon district on Aug 18, Oct 1 and Oct 20 last year. Some have been charged and would be brought before court on May 18.

New People's Party Chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said everyone stands equal before the law and there’s no exception for media tycoons or former legislators. She expected the prosecution would be based on evidence and the court would make a fair and equitable judgment. It’s not right to politicize the issue, she added.

Lawmaker Holden Chow Ho-ding from the city’s biggest political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, echoed Ip. He said calling the arrest “political prosecution” would be unfair to the police, whose action is based on evidence and the law.

Lawrence Ma Yan-kwok, chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, said the arrests were by no means a political retaliation but an embodiment of the rule of law.

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In his opinion, Martin Lee and Albert Ho Chun-Yan, as lawyers, had deliberately violated the law. They chose to act against the law when they knew the protests were not authorized by the police rather than to fulfill their responsibilities as lawyers to stop the illegal action and give protesters proper legal advice, Ma added.

Although the incident happened last year and the arrests came a little late because of the pandemic, it was understandable, he said, adding that there is no conflict between maintaining the rule of law and efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

“Is it rational to let the criminal behaviors go unchecked simply because there is an ongoing epidemic?” Ma asked.

Ma questioned the rationale behind the accusation of “political prosecution” citing the case of a woman being sent to jail for four weeks for stealing about 5,500 face masks.

“When someone stole face masks during the pandemic was jailed immediately. Is it another political prosecution?” He asked.

Ma believed, if the suspects were proven guilty with solid evidence, a fair and just punishment would be in the interest of the public and send a deterrent message to the young people.

Senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah, also an Executive Councilor, said he believed the arrests of the prominent figures itself were not enough to create a deterrent effect to the city’s young protesters.

“There needs to be more arrests of ordinary participants (to have a deterrent effect),” Tong said.